Improvement in water-indicators



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WATER [minus-ram Patented Sep. 12,1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

WILLIAM BUTTERFIELD, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H. WORDEN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN WATER-INDICATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,789, dated September 12, 1871; antedated September 9, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BUTTERFIELD, of Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ater-Indicators and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the case, with one-half removed to show the interior. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, and Fig. 4 is a top view of the valve-seat.

Similar letters of reference denote correspondin g parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a water-indicator which shall, at the same time, be effectual and much more simple than any heretofore in use; and to this end it consists in construoting the shell or outer case in two parts, which are bolted together through the flanges, thus forming a space for floats in the interior of the case; and further, in covering the center hole for the spindle by the levers and arms to prevent the escape of steam past the spindle; also, in constructing the whistle-valve with one port and the valve-seat with two ports, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing, A is the shell or case, which is bolted together through the flanges B. O is the dial. D is the indicator-hand; E, the valveseat; and F, the open space of the shell containing the spherical floats G. The floats G are connected to the spindle g by arms g, which are just long enough to allow the floats to move in the space F. To each one of these arms g is connected a lever, j, which is also attached to the whistlevalve H on the side opposite the port h. By the peculiar construction of these levers, as shown, I am enabled to use two floats instead of one, and to operate them simultaneously. The spindle g can be made of any suitable material;

but I prefer to make it of glass, on account of its noncorrosive qualities. One of the arms 9 has the spindle g securely fastened to it, whose longest portion is slightly pointed to receive the indicator-hand outside the dial. The short end receives the other arm by the spindle being constructed, as shown, to receive one arm on it, and securely fastened to the other. The spindle-hole is kept tight, and no escape of steam can possibly take place through the spindlehole, and without necessitating the use of a stuffing-box on the outside of the shell under the dial, as has been the case with indicators of this construction heretofore in use. The valve-seat I has two partsyi e, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the draw 111g.

The operation is as follows, viz.: When the water is above the proper line in the boiler the floats G are raised and the port of the valve H is brought over the lower port in the valve-seat, and thus indicates the stage of water in the boiler, and, at the same time, blows the whistle; and when the water is below the proper line in the boiler the floats G are lowered and the port of the valve H is brought over the upper port of the valve-seat and the whistle is operated, and the stage of water is indicated on the dial.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A water-indicator, when constructed with the shell A in two parts, forming an open interior space, F, for the operation of floats G, when used in combination with the levers f and arms g, one moving the spindle g and the other moving upon it, in the manner substantially as herein set forth. The above specification of my invention signed by me this 19th day of September, A. I). 187 0.

WILLIAM BUTTERFIELD.

Witnesses:

F. E. DIETRICH, HERBERT H. MrLLs. 

